He immediately took the King Charles Cavalier back indoors and began clearing up.

The 80-year-old said: “I just opened the gate and saw that the notice board looked naked. It’s more of an annoyance that someone would do this and for little dogs, those pins can be nasty for their paws.”

The board is frequently updated with events in the community.

Mr Stibbard wanted other residents in Sidmouth to be aware of what happened but he hopes it was a one-off occurrence.